Because I bought the mac from somone else, so my docs are all labelled with is name. I've tolerated htis for awhile, but I bought a new mac and want to migrate my stuff to the new computer but without his name.

I want my files on my new computer with my own name on them. I thought that changing the name of the home folder and then migrating "user" to the new mac would accomplish that, but I'm still not clear on whether it will or not, and if so, whether I can do it. My son will also continue to use the old mac and I'd like to change the name.

This is the only way I know how to do it and in fact step 4 is:Select the Home folder with the short name you want to change, and rename it just like you would rename any folder. Keep in mind that the shortname must be all lowercase, with no spaces, and only contain letters.

How could it have not changed if you did that? Step 4 is the one you are stuck on, right??? Not step 10?

Either 5 or 6. When I use the Accounts pane in System Preferences, instead of letting me click "OK", it tells me "name is XXXXX XXXXX another user"

Customer:replied 3 years ago.

The sidebar home folder icon says "root" though I put my name, billhanrahan, in. Also when I open, say, a word doc, it still says the previous owners name in the doc title. Also, the previous owner's name is XXXXX XXXXX one of the folders in the users folder, i.e., the old home folder name is XXXXX XXXXX a folder in the /Users folder.

Of course the username on the home folder is going to be the name of the account you are logged into which is Root. The username you see in Word has nothing to do with that just change it in Word preferences. It has nothing to do with the account name on the computer. Log out and try logging into the account which you changed.

Select the Home folder with the short name you want to change, and rename it just like you would rename any folder. Keep in mind that the shortname must be all lowercase, with no spaces, and only contain letters.

Use the Accounts pane in System Preferences to create a new user with the Account name or Short Name that you used in the previous step.

Click OK when "A folder in the Users folder already has the name 'account name'. Would you like to use that folder as the Home folder for this user account?" Note: This will correct the ownership of all files in the Home folder, and avoid permissions issues with the contents.

Choose Log Out from the Apple menu.

Log in as the newly created user. You should be able to access all of your original files (on the desktop, in Documents, and in the other folders of this Home).

After verifying that your data is as expected, you can delete the original user account via the Accounts pane of System Preferences.

Select the Home folder with the short name you want to change ( NOT THE ROOT user)!!!!, and rename it just like you would rename any folder. Keep in mind that the shortname must be all lowercase, with no spaces, and only contain letters.

I don't apprecitate your attitude.... what do you think I've been trying to tell you????? I can't change the folder's name, as I told you before. I click on it and it doesn't give me the option to change it. It gives me the options: Open, Move to Trash, Get Info, Compress, Burn to disc, Duplicate, Make alias, Copy, Clean Up Selection, Show view Options, Label, Folder Actions Setup.

OK but you have to do it in the order of the instructions, if you can't change the name of the folder you should never have got past step 4, please go through it again and stop if you get stuck, then let me know. Don’t be afraid to let me know if you don’t understand something.

I'm gonna accept the answer because it mostly works. I went through all the steps, but when I log back in as myself, it gives me my name, and documents are not labelled with the previous owner's name, and in the /User's file Desktop, Documents, Downloads are in the folder billhanrahan, but the sidebar still has the previous owner's name next to the house (home folder) icon.

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